Lottery winner charged with welfare fraud

UPI News Service, 04/17/2012

A Michigan woman has been charged with welfare fraud for allegedly failing to report her $1 million lottery jackpot and staying on public assistance.

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Amanda Clayton, 25, of Lincoln Park won the $1 million Sept. 12 in the Michigan Lottery's "Make Me Rich" game show, but did not report the income and continued collecting food and medical assistance benefits, state officials said in a release.

She also did not report income from employment while receiving public assistance, as the law requires, officials said.

Clayton, who is charged with two felony counts of welfare fraud, allegedly collected about $5,475 worth of food and medical assistance benefits from August to March for which she was ineligible.

"It's simply common sense that million-dollar lottery winners forfeit their right to public assistance," Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette said in the release. "We will continue to work with local, state and federal authorities to uphold state laws intended to ensure wise stewardship of taxpayer dollars."